Lara saw John shoot a pointed glance at her.
“I had other things going on.” John slapped Brandon on the back of the shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here. It’s about time you made it to my island.”
Lara watched the men, wondering if it was her imagination or if John really was playing it cool when what he’d rather do was boot Brandon back to the mainland.
“Looks like I had perfect timing.”
The starkly sexual expression on Brandon’s face when he looked at her again put her thoughts right back on the train to get-it-on-ville. Great, she’d come to the island for a purpose that had absolutely nothing to do with getting laid. Yet, she’d been here less than an hour and couldn’t think about anything else.
Brandon effortlessly picked up the bag she’d been carrying. “Where are we headed?”
A knowing look passed through John’s expression and the corner of his lips twitched. Lara saw the men hold one another’s gaze, caught the challenge that moved through both of their eyes, and bowed her head before they saw the grin she couldn’t hold back.
Really, guys? The testosterone is getting a bit thick around here.
And she was caught in the middle of it with the two men who were supposed to be sworn to keep her out of trouble. Who was supposed to come to her rescue now?
Chapter Two
Lara forced herself to focus on the scenery rather than the men who had sandwiched her between them. The golf cart had been designed with an extended front seat to easily accommodate the driver and two passengers beside him. Easily, except that the designers obviously hadn’t been thinking about the men being broad-shoulder muscular perfections. She couldn’t move without brushing an arm or a leg or a boob against one of them. She did her best to ignore the zings and act natural. It didn’t help knowing in a few short minutes she would be walking into the seclusion of a house likely similar to the ones they passed with John and Brandon at her side.
“I take it this is the area of the island where the residents live.”
“The residents and those who are here for more extended visits.” John pointed to his right. “There are paths between every three houses on this side that lead to the beach. Most of these are occupied. There’s several vacant ones on the left and further back on the island. Those are rented to guests, but they can be purchased if the visitors decide they want to live on the island.”
Brandon shifted beside her and stretched an arm along the back of the seat as he turned and leaned forward slightly to look around her at John. “Where’s your place?”
“I have a bungalow with direct access to the beach through the privacy fence, private hot tub on the back deck, and an empty lot beside it if I ever decide I want to expand.” John pointed to a house coming into view on their right. “See the black convertible Corvette in that driveway? That’s it.”
Brandon whistled. “Sounds like your new boss man pays better than the US Navy.”
John shrugged, pulled the golf cart to a stop in the drive of a charming small yellow cottage, and cut the engine.
Lara’s heart skipped a beat. The driveway he’d pulled into was directly across from his house.
“Kenneth Winters is a good man, as are his brother and their wife,” John said. “He looks out for the island and the people who work for him.”
“Is that why you left the SEALs, to work for Kenneth?” Lara had known the Winters brothers and their wife Charlotte for years. She’d gone to high school with their only daughter, Claire, who had died in a car accident shortly after her graduation. Thinking about Claire’s vibrant, witty, and compassionate soul still twisted at Lara’s heart. She’d kept in touch with the Winters family even after Claire’s death, though she hated to admit until recently that communication hadn’t extended beyond more than cards exchanged on Christmas and birthdays.
She had to agree with John, too. Kenneth was a good man, as was Marcus and Charlotte. Still, despite obviously having a good thing going for him on the island, she couldn’t imagine a man like John choosing to give up a place on a team that was truly the best of the best to become a small island sheriff.
John’s gaze flicked to Brandon and something moved through his eyes that might have been anger, or it could’ve been pain. Whatever it was, when he turned his attention back to her, it was gone.
His lips unfolded in a mischievous grin. “I’ll tell you why I left the team over dinner tonight.”
Lara felt Brandon’s arm stiffen behind her shoulders. She blinked at John. That hadn’t been a dinner invitation. His choice of words made it a sure thing. She might have protested, but he picked that moment to break into song. She didn’t recognize the lyrics, but the melodic sound of his voice brought goose pimples to the surface of her flesh.
Brandon used the arm draped across the back of the seat to swat at John. “Cut it out, Cabelly.”
John stopped singing and his grin widened.
Lara laughed. “How could I have forgotten that about you?”
“You mean that he always has a song for everything?” Brandon asked.
Lara turned to look at Brandon. “And that you’re constantly telling him to cut it out.” They’d spent the helicopter ride from Cambodia doing it. John would start to sing and Brandon would roll his eyes and tell him to stop.
“Me and every other guy on the team.” Brandon slid out of the golf cart and held out his hand.
“You can’t deny he’s got a great voice, though,” Lara said as she put her hand in his and let him help her from the golf cart. Not that she needed his help, but she hadn’t forgotten one key thing about Brandon McCormick. He was the sweet SEAL, caring, compassionate, and gentle, wrapped in a five-foot-seven package of pure sex appeal.
“Yeah, and a repertoire of songs to fit anyone’s musical tastes.” Brandon reached with his free hand and pulled the closest suitcase off the back of the cart.
“What can I say?” John shrugged as he got out of the cart. “I inherited my parents’ love for music.”
“I’ve never heard that song before. What was it?” Lara walked with Brandon around the front of the cart, noting John had grabbed the second bag. She didn’t realize Brandon hadn’t yet let go of her hand until she saw John’s gaze drop, the muscle in his jaw giving a quick tick at the sight of her and Brandon holding hands.
“It’s an R&B tune.” John’s tone didn’t reveal a hint of the jealously that little ticking in his jaw exhibited. “‘Table for Two.’”
Lara felt Brandon’s fingers flex around her hand, but he still didn’t let go. John reached a hand out as he came up on her opposite side and flattened it on the small of her back. She let them lead her to the door of the small house, her mind reeling with the ecstasy of being between the two of them, of having them both touching her, and, Jesus save her, of the desire for them to touch so much more.
John set down the suitcase he carried, opened the door, and used the same hand to gesture for her to step inside.
Lara gently pried her hand from Brandon’s, not wanting him to feel how she’d started to tremble as she stepped over the threshold. It wasn’t fear that made her start to shake. It was the same knowledge that had sent her system on a riot of wicked thrills back on the golf cart. John and Brandon would follow her inside, she’d be alone with them, and neither of them were making it a secret that they wanted her.
“All the houses on the island are built pretty much the same except for the number of bedrooms.” John’s voice broke the heavy silence in the little house. “This is a one bedroom with a fairly open floor plan.” He moved past her, turning and pointing as he spoke. “That’s the kitchen, small dining area, living room, and that door leads to the bedroom and bath.”
“It’s perfect!” Lara walked slowly around the room, taking it all in, and wondering at the homey feeling that settled in her soul. It was the same feeling she’d gotten when she’d first stepped onto the island. She’d never experienced the sensation before, as if she’d found the place where sh
e truly belonged.
The cottage’s furnishings were spare, simple, neutral colored, and ideal. A small round wooden eating table and three chairs served to separate the kitchen and living room. Fresh flowers sat in a vase in the center of that table, giving the air a welcoming floral scent.
Brandon walked to the closed door John had indicated and pushed it open. “Christ, the whole SEAL team could fit in that bed.”
Lara heard John snicker as he followed Brandon into the room with her second suitcase. She stayed where she’d stopped near the table, indecision warring with her hormones.
To follow or not to follow? Now that’s the trick question of the hour.
She wanted to see where she would be sleeping during her stay, but stepping into a bedroom occupied by two men she already wanted to do a whole lot more than sleep with might not be such a good idea.
For Pete’s sake, Lara. Do them both and get them out of your system.
The thought was so ludicrous it compelled her feet to move. Said feet came to a screeching halt three seconds later when she stepped into the largest bedroom with the most gigantic bed she’d ever seen.
“Holy cow! I’ll get lost sleeping alone in that thing.” Both men turned to look at her with mirroring promises in their eyes. No doubt about it, she wouldn’t have to sleep alone if she didn’t want to.
The idea of either of them, or, oh, my God, both of them crawling into that bed with her sent whips of heat slashing through her womb before striking her clit and her nipples.
Two long strides brought John toward her until he stood so close she could feel the heat radiating from his body. “Everything on the island is designed to make ménage couples feel comfortable, remember?”
Brandon moved to stand next to her, his body angled slightly toward the room, and his handsome face alight with amusement. “Don’t feel bad. This is all pretty weird to me, too.” He leaned his head forward to look around her at John. “Are we the only single people on this island?”
“Far from it. I’d say the population of the residents is about equal. The island caters to the ménage way of life. Most of the visitors come to the resort because it’s a place where they don’t have to hide their relationship or be ridiculed about it like what sometimes happens on the mainland. Some choose to live here. Some don’t.” John lifted a shoulder. “Then you’ve got residents like me who are just looking for an escape. It’s an island, but it’s got all the feel of a small town. That doesn’t work for many people no matter how liberal the views of the town are.”
“Which is why the media has created such a bitch fest about it and why Kenneth Winters hired himself a former Navy SEAL to uphold his law,” Brandon said.
John shot him a half smile. “Something like that.” The handheld radio on his hip squawked. He snagged it off his belt and keyed it up to speak. “What is it, Paige?”
“Mr. Winters, that would be Marcus, is looking for you,” a no-nonsense female voice came back through the radio. “He asked me to track you down and see if you could meet him outside Pleasured Minds.”
“Tell him to give me ten minutes.” John replaced the radio on his belt and returned his attention to Lara. “Apparently the Winters brothers haven’t spoken about how they planned to monopolize my time today.”
“Does that happen often?”
“No, they usually leave me to do my job as I see fit. Which means something is up. Explore the island and enjoy yourself this afternoon.”
The way he leaned in was the only indication she got that he was about to kiss her. It happened so fast, she didn’t have time to react. One second, she was standing there, looking at him and listening to him, and the next his mouth was on hers.
Shock exploded into desire in her system as his tongue swept between her slightly parted lips and found hers. He didn’t touch her with more than his mouth but, Christ, he didn’t have to. That single part of his anatomy should come with a warning label, Danger! Do not let it touch you or you will spontaneously combust.
Lara came close to combustion stage, her internal temperature heating as his tongue instantly took control over hers in a wickedly tasty demand that drove her senses to near explosion. If he hadn’t ended the kiss when he did, she would’ve been toast.
“I’ll catch up with you later for dinner,” he told her gruffly as he eased away.
Lara gulped, her mind reeling and lips still tingling from the kiss. It wasn’t until she felt Brandon shift beside her that she remembered he was there, too. Oh, dear God, and he’d just watched John kiss her!
She saw Brandon’s hand lift in front of her face and felt him hook a finger beneath her chin as he turned her head toward him. His hazel eyes swam with a dark passion and heat that took whatever breath she had remaining after John’s kiss away. He released her chin, lifted his hand higher, and grazed the back of his fingers over the flesh next to her mouth.
Memories swamped her. It was the same tender touch he’d given her when he’d removed the duct tape from her mouth that night in Cambodia. She remembered thinking then that he was too damn handsome, too damn nice, and way too damn dangerous for her hormones. He proved her right this time.
Unlike the kiss with John, Brandon gave her every indication in the world of his intention. It didn’t help in giving her time to react. She stared at him, paralyzed, her heart racing, and hormones raging as she watched his mouth slowly move in to meet hers. He traced the outline of her lips with his tongue, coaxed them to part, and licked his way between them. His hand had slid from the side of her mouth to cup her cheek and she covered it with hers as his tongue caressed hers, languidly exploring her mouth, and stealing what remained of her sanity.
He rested his forehead to hers as he gradually broke the kiss, his eyes now dark with desire and heated promises that there was way more waiting for her where that had come from. “I’ll catch up with you later, too.”
Unable to speak, unable to think, she nodded and released the hand he still had on her cheek. He dragged that hand down and skimmed it along her jaw before letting it fall away. She felt John glide a hand down her back and then both men walked away, leaving her body tingling and mind going ape shit with needs she wasn’t sure which man could fulfill most.
* * * *
Brandon adjusted his cock in an attempt to find some sort of relief as he followed John out of Lara’s cottage. He’d been walking around for four years with a raging hard-on for the woman, but that kiss had been more than he’d bargained for. He’d expected her to taste like a slice of heaven. He’d expected her mouth to be a warm paradise. He’d expected her tongue to feel like a satiny ribbon he would immediately want to experience gliding up and down his shaft.
He hadn’t expected one kiss to confirm what his mind had known from the moment he saw her bound, gagged, and frightened in the hut in Cambodia. He’d never be able to truly walk away from her. One touch, one kiss would never be enough.
“You had to do that, didn’t you?”
Brandon stopped on the passenger side of the golf cart and rested his forearms on the frame as he met John’s gaze over the roof. He didn’t need to ask what John meant. He knew exactly. “I didn’t see you hesitating to kiss her even though I was standing there.” Guilt moved through John’s eyes and he couldn’t stop himself from throwing another blow. “I damn sure didn’t hear you tell me she was going to be on the island when we talked on the phone the other day, either.”
The guilt in John’s eyes spread to encompass his whole face. He glanced away, frowned, and looked back at Brandon again. “Yeah, about that. I know I should’ve told you. I just…”
“Wanted her for yourself,” Brandon supplied when John trailed off. It stung knowing his closest friend had kept Lara’s visit from him. All the months since John had left the team, every time they’d talked, the man had never missed a beat at telling Brandon he needed to take a furlough and spend a couple of weeks on the island. Every time they’d talked except one. The last time when John knew full well
Lara Hampton would be there in a few days.
“Yes. No.” John raked a hand over his military reg cut white-blond hair and sighed. “Hell, I don’t know. You’ve been just as torn up about her all these years as I have. We’ve talked about it.”
“Yeah,” Brandon said on a half laugh that held absolutely no hint of real humor. “I saw her first.”
John blinked at him, the corners of his lips twitching despite the seriousness of the conversation.
Brandon briefly bowed his head. He knew how childish that statement had sounded but, damn it, it had been the truth.
“If we’re really going to play first come first serve, I’ve got the upper hand this time, my friend.”
Brandon felt himself grin. “Do you? Unless she’s a really quiet one and good at hiding it, I don’t think you made her come in there.”
John barked a laugh. “Are you challenging me, McCormick?”
Brandon chuckled and shook his head, but his laughter died when he looked back at the cottage. Lara wasn’t the first woman over the years he and John had both had the hots for, though she was definitely the first one neither of them had ever been able to forget. If he tallied it up, he figured he and John would be about even when it came to who managed to get the girl in the end. There had been times when he’d won. There had been other times when John had gotten the prize. The idea of John being the victorious one when it came to Lara, however, made him sick.
“Look, I should’ve told you. I was wrong. I’m not too much of a man to admit that.” John paused, obviously waiting for Brandon to look at him again before he continued. “I will tell you this now. I’m not too much of a man to go to blows with you over her. I’m not even too much of a man to share her with you. What I won’t do is walk away.”
Safe and SEALed with Ecstasy [The Heroes of Silver Island 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4